Curriculum / ELA / 7th Grade / Unit 3: Pursuing Dreams: A Raisin in the Sun / Lesson 5
ELA
Unit 3
7th Grade
Lesson 5 of 27
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Identify features of setting and explain how setting shapes characters in A Raisin in the Sun.
Play: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry pp. 24 – 35 — end at "women with small minds"
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
What does Walter hope for his future? How has living in this apartment shaped what he hopes for? Support your answer with specific textual evidence from today’s reading.
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What words and phrases does Hansberry use to describe the Younger family’s home on page 23? What are the connotations of these words?
What does the Younger home suggest about the characters’ social class? Provide specific details about the setting from the stage directions to support your answer.
What does Travis’s conversation with his parents on 28-35 reveal about the family’s financial situation? Provide specific evidence from these pages to support your answer.
Describe the relationships between the different characters we met today.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
indifferent
adj.
(p. 26)
having no particular interest or sympathy, unconcerned
act
n.
a major division in a dramatic text forming the basic structure of a performance.
scene
a division of an act in a dramatic work presenting continuous action in one place.
dialogue
anything a character says aloud -- often in conversation with another character.
monologue
a long, uninterrupted speech by one character in a play.
stage directions
an instruction in the text of a play, especially one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting.
set
The built physical environment that actors move through in the performance of a play.
dialect
language specific to a region or social group, defined by differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Reading and/or task to be completed at home in preparation for the next lesson.
To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.
Play: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry pp. 35 – 46 — [begin at "His sister BENEATHA enters."] [end after MAMA "Yes, a fine man—just couldn’t never catch up with his dreams, that’s all."]
While reading, answer the following questions.
How would you describe Walter and Beneatha’s relationship? Provide an example from the text.
How does Ruth respond to Walter and Beneatha’s interactions?
What is coming in the mail tomorrow?
Who was Big Walter?
What did Mama and Big Walter dream about?
What does Mama think she might do with the money?
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RL.7.3 — Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.7.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RL.7.1 — Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.7.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.7.5 — Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
RL.7.6 — Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
RL.7.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.7.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.7.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.7.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.7.1.a — Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
W.7.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.7.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.7.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.9.a — Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history").
W.7.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson 4
Lesson 6
Define the American dream and explain how and why it has changed over time.
RI.7.3
Determine the causes and impacts of the Great Migration and explain how the author develops his central ideas.
RI.7.2 RI.7.3
Identify the claims made in a radio story and assess whether the evidence used to support those claims is relevant and sufficient.
RI.7.8 SL.7.3
Explain the meaning and impact of word choice and literary devices in Langston Hughes’s "Harlem," and how they work together to develop theme.
RL.7.2 RL.7.4
RL.7.3
Identify characters’ points of view in A Raisin in the Sun and explain how the playwright develops differences in perspective.
RL.7.6
Writing
Unpack a writing prompt, study an exemplar, and gather evidence in preparation for writing a persuasive letter.
W.7.1 W.7.1.a W.7.5
Outline and draft a persuasive letter including a counterclaim.
W.7.1 W.7.1.a W.7.1.b W.7.1.e W.7.5
Revise for linking words; identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers.
L.7.1 L.7.1.c W.7.1 W.7.1.c
Compare and contrast the film version of A Raisin in the Sun with the original text and explain the impact of specific techniques used by the filmmakers.
RL.7.7
Identify characters’ points of view in A Raisin in the Sun and explain what their words and actions reveal about them.
Explain how the physical and historical setting of A Raisin in the Sun impacts characters.
Identify and contrast different characters’ perspectives in A Raisin in the Sun, and explain how they change.
Explain the impact of specific word choice on mood and meaning in A Raisin in the Sun, and how word choice reveals a character’s perspective.
RL.7.4 RL.7.6
Compare and contrast the film version of A Raisin in the Sun with the original text by identifying techniques used by the filmmakers and their impact on mood and meaning.
Explain the impact of word choice on mood and tone in A Raisin in the Sun.
RL.7.4
Identify characters’ points of view in A Raisin in the Sun and explain how the playwright develops differences and changes in perspective.
Socratic Seminar
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, demonstrating a deep understanding of the text and topic by posing and responding to questions, and providing evidence to support ideas.
SL.7.1 SL.7.1.a SL.7.1.c SL.7.4
Unpack a prompt, study a Mentor Text, and begin to brainstorm ideas for a setting.
W.7.3
Draft setting paragraphs, focusing on vivid descriptive details.
L.7.5 W.7.3 W.7.3.a W.7.3.d
Outline a short dramatic scene and draft "At Rise" paragraphs.
W.7.3 W.7.3.a
Draft dialogue and stage directions for a short dramatic scene.
W.7.3 W.7.3.b
Engage in peer feedback with a partner and present scenes to the class.
SL.7.4 W.7.3 W.7.5
Assessment – 2 days
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